The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned Ryan James Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder for Canada, for being an "extremely violent criminal" believed to be responsible for the killing of people abroad and for involvement in drug trafficking and "other serious criminal activities." OFAC said Wedding is on the FBI's 10 most wanted list and is "hiding" in Mexico.
A potential buyer of Russian energy firm Lukoil's international business will need to obtain a separate authorization from the Office of Foreign Assets Control -- aside from the agency's existing general license for the firm -- to complete the sale, OFAC said in a new FAQ this week.
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The U.S. government’s “economic statecraft” tools, including export controls and sanctions, are “fragmented” across multiple agencies, and Congress should consider consolidating them into a single entity to increase coordination, focus and accountability, the congressionally mandated U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission said in its new 2025 annual report.
Nature’s Sunshine Products, a dietary supplement manufacturer headquartered in Utah, said it recently submitted final voluntary disclosures related to possible violations of U.S. sanctions and export controls.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued four new or amended Russia-related general licenses Nov. 14. General License 124B, which replaces 124A, authorizes petroleum services and other transactions related to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Tengizchevroil and Karachaganak projects. General License 128A, which replaces 128, authorizes certain transactions involving Lukoil retail service stations located outside Russia. General License 130 authorizes transactions involving certain Lukoil entities in Bulgaria, and General License 131 authorizes certain transactions for the negotiation of and entry into contingent contracts for the sale of Lukoil International GmbH and related maintenance activities.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Nov. 13 sanctioned the Mexico-based Hysa Organized Crime Group (HOCG), a transnational criminal organization, and five members of the Hysa family for laundering drug-trafficking proceeds through various Mexico-based businesses.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Nov. 12 sanctioned 32 individuals and entities for operating procurement networks that support Iran’s ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) production.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Nov. 12 sanctioned the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), a Burmese armed group, for supporting Myanmar-based cyber scam centers that target Americans with fraudulent investment schemes.
VFC Solutions, a sanctioned Cypriot investment firm, filed a lawsuit against the Office of Foreign Assets Control for denying its petition to be delisted from the Specially Designated National and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), arguing that the agency acted "arbitrarily and capriciously" by denying the petition based on "speculation and conjecture."